Tone-modulating device for pianos.



R. H. OLSEN.

TONE MODULATING DEVICE FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED IIIIIE I. m5.

1,205,561. PatentedNov. 21,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FETCH ROY H. OLSEN, OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO STRAUBE PIANO COMPANY, OF

HAMMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

TONE-MODULATING DEVICE FOR PLANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application led .Tune 1, 1915. Serial No. 31,402.

To all whom t may concern. i

Be it known that I, ROY H. OLSEN., a citizen of the `United States, and resident of Hammond, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone-Modulating Devices for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to a tone modulating device for pianos, particularly adapted for use in player pianos, altl'iough not necessarily limited to such 1dse.

1t is the object or my invention to provide a mechanism, whereby the tones or' a piano may be modulated to produce tones of a quality closely resembling those of a harp.

i further object of my invention is the provision of a tone modulating' device for pianos, which may be constructed of a minimum number of simple and relatively inexpensive parts and which may be controlled by either the hands or feet of the operator at will.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood by r terence to the following specilication when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which-y Figure 1 is a vertical section through the piano showing the modulating device installed; 2 is a front elevation of a piano with the front broken away to show the arranOement of the tone modulating device; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the pneumatic with the valve chamber in section; Fig. 4t is similar detail with the valve chamber sectioned in a plane normal to the plane Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail in section or' the keybcard-controlling mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the casing or a piano, carrying` the usual means 2 for supporting the strings 3 in proper relation to the sounding board 4:. Pivotally mounted at 5 are the usual action-hammers 6.

Pivoted at 7 to the end walls of the casing 1 are the arms S supporting a longitudinally extending bar 9 to which one edge or' a sheet 10 of felt or other suitable material is secured. The other edge of the sheet 10 is slotted to produce a plurality of dependingl fingers 11 spaced to correspond eX- actly with the spacing of the strings corresponding to individual tones and provided at their extremities with metallic buttons 12. rThe buttons 12 are adapted to be disposed between the hammers (3 and the strings 3 and to transfer the force of the hammer blow to the strings. The interposition of the metallic buttons between the hammers and the strings results in a peculiar tone quality which closely resembles the tone of a harp. Springs 13, secured to arms S and to pins 1l in the end walls of the casing 1, normally maintain tl e arms S and the bar 9 in raised position so that the buttons 12 are outside the path of the hammers 6.

A tension rod 15 is pivotally secured at the upper end to the bar 9 and loosely engages at its lower end the lever 1G pivoted in a pair of brackets 17 at the base of the piano and connected to a pedal pivoted in a bracket 19 disposed midway of the base. By actuating the pedal 1S the lever 16 will be actuated to draw the rod 15 and the bar 9 downwardly to position the metallic buttons 12 in contact with the strings 3 and in the path of the hammers 6.

In order that the tone modulating device may be operated from the keyboard of a piano I provide a. pneumatic 20, suitably mounted within the casing 1 and loosely connected to the rod 15 at 21. A valve casing 22 adjacent the pneumatic 20 is divided into two chambers by a. diaphragm 23, the upper chamber being connected by a duct 24; with a suction bellows 25, disposed within the casing l adjacent the base thereof and operable by means of pedals 26 to produce a partial vacuum in the duct 24k and the upper chamber of the valve casing 23. The lower chamber of the casing 22 is con` nected by a duct 27 to an outlet in the underside of the keyboard which is normally closed by a leaf spring 28. A push rod 29 extends through the keyboard and is provided with a button 30 whereby the spring 28 may be depressed to open the outlet from the duct 27. The vacuum maintained in the upper chamber of the valve casing 22 is communicated to the lower chamber and the duct 27 by a bleeder o1 of small diameter in the diaphragm 23.

Supported on the diaphragm 23 are the valve stems 32 carrying valves 33 and 34- and the former being adapted to close the passage from the upper chamber of the valve casing 22 to the pneumatic 20 and the draws the rod 3 dowiiwardl latter being adapted to close the air vent to the pneumatic 20. Normally the valve 33 is seated and the valve 34 is open, the pneumatic being held in distended position by the springs 13 operating through arms S, bar 9 and rod 15. lVhen the push rod 29 is operated to depress the spring 2S the vacuum in the duct 27'and the lower chamber of the valve casing 22 is overcome and the diaphragm 23 is forced upwardly by the air pressure in the lower chamber, thereby lifting the valve stems 32, unseating valve 33V and seating valve 34. The passage from the .pneumatic 20 to the upper chamber of the valve casing 22 is thus opened and consequently the pneumatic 20 is deiiated and moving the bar 9 to position the buttons l2 in front of the individual strings.

lt will be readily understood from the foregoing that l have perfected a mechanism, whereby tones Vof different qualli'ty thanpthose ordinarily produced by pianos result from the simple expedient of introducing a Vmetallic member between 'the strings and the hammers and that l have alsoprovided means whereby the modulating device may be controlled either from the keyboard of the piano or by means vof a pedal. lt will be apparent that, if the device is applied to a self-playing piano, itl

will be desirable, when the instrument is played automatically, to control the modulating device from the keyboard, since the operator maintains the piano in operation by means of the pedals. 0n the other Vhand if the instrument is manually played it will be necessary to use the pedal 13, since the operators hands are engaged.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the Vinvention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

claim:

ln a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of strings, a plurality of hammers, a swinging frame, re silient means to normally maintain saidV frame in raised position, metallic means suspended from said frame, means forswinging said frame and moving said metallic means into the path of said hammers, including a tension rod connected to said frame, a pneumatic, an abutment on said l tension rod, means on said pneumatic engaging said abutment, whereby said rod may be actuated by said pneumatic but is free therefrom when otherwise actuated, means for controlling said pneumatic, a' pivoted lever connected to said tension rod, anda pivoted pedal connected to said lever, whereby said frame is depressed when said pedal is actuated.

Vnor ii. oLsEN.

Witnesses v Y A. T. SoHULDns,

N. RonBiNs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,V

' Washington, D. C. 

